Episode 397: Alec and Irene Barrow, Gay Latter-day Saint, 25+ Year Seminary Teacher

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

Richard Ostler

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 839 Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2021

⏱️ 103 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My friends Alec and Irene Barrow (married 30 years, 5 kids) talk about Alec being a gay Latter-day Saint. Alec, who has done everything he knows to not be gay, eventually came to accept this part of himself and is now being given space in his Stake and his Church employment to share his story as a gay Latter-day Saint—which is deeply healing for Alec and helps us have better tools to support LGBTQ Latter-day Saints. Alec talks about how both his testimony of our Church and being gay are part of his core identity. Both Irene and Alec talk about how “hiding” and “shame” disconnect us and the need to be real, open and honest—and how that creates connection which better helps us help and heal each other. Their marriage is a beautiful love story. This is a deeply moving podcast to help better support LGBTQ Latter-day Saints and bring us together as the same human family. Thank you Alec and Irene for being on the podcast. You are two of my heroes and you sharing your story will help thousands. Please note that their children/spouses are the next episode (398) to share their love and support for their parents. ** For More Stories, Please Check Out My New Book At: ** Deseret Book: www.deseretbook.com/p/listen-learn-and-love-embracing-lgbtq-latter-day-saints Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/1462135773

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to another episode of Listen, Learn, and Love, hosted by Richard Osler.
0:09.2	My guest on today's podcast are my friends Alex and Irene Barrow.
0:15.0	Welcome to the podcast.
0:16.7	Thank you.
0:18.2	We're going to, this couple, we're going to talk, and Alex is going to share his story as a gay Latter-day Saint.
0:23.6	This is a couple that's married.
0:25.0	They've been married for 30 years.
0:27.7	Alec teaches in the Seminary Institute system.
0:31.3	He'll talk more about that.
0:32.5	He's been in that system for 26 years, teaching at the high school level.
0:37.2	And they've began to share their
0:38.7	story over the last period of time with Alec being gay. And he is just willing to share this
0:44.7	on the podcast. And I'm really honored. We said a prayer before we started. And our hope is that
0:49.6	this story will help us come together as the body of Christ. I love Elder Cook's quote.
0:55.0	And from General Conference, he talks about unity and diversity.
0:59.0	And I think that's where we're moving as Latter-day Saints is be able to embrace our diversity and look at us an asset and bring us together as the body of Christ.
1:08.0	This wonderful couple has five kids, two married kids, an engaged kid, one grandbaby,
1:14.8	and as I may have mentioned, celebrates 30 years of marriage later in 2021. Irane is a speech
1:23.0	language pathologist working with charter schools here in Utah. And Alec, as I mentioned, is
1:29.9	works in seminaries and institute and also as a licensed therapist. I met with this couple
1:34.8	several months ago, and they made a great impression on me of just a wonderful couple,
1:40.5	deep love and understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ, a wonderful, authentic marriage, and doing so much good.
	...

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